Imagine a snowboard that works just as well off the slopes as it does in the ocean and instantly transforms into a surfboard. Or how about a board that doubles as a karaoke machine, fires paintballs or has an iPad embedded into the deck so you could surf the Web from the mountain top?

Huntington Beach-based Signal Snowboard takes those offbeat ideas from imagination to reality in "Every Third Thursday," a monthly online video segment that features innovative custom creations.

"There's enough normal snowboards out in the world, but it's cool to have something unique that also rides really well," said Signal founder Dave Lee.

After working in the snow industry representing other brands, Lee, a former professional snowboarder, moved to Los Angeles from Seattle in 2004 and launched his own brand. His goal: make every element of Signal Snowboards in the United States. Lee teamed up with manufacturer Marc Wierenga three years later to run a full operation in Huntington Beach.

Most snowboard companies are based in colder climates like Colorado, Utah or the Pacific Northwest. But Lee and Wierenga loved Orange County's laid-back surf lifestyle, not to mention a mild climate that keeps heating costs down. They are the only snowboard manufacturer operating in Orange County.

Although the rent is higher here, they consider it their "luxury tax," Lee quips.

Expanding an action sports business in 2007 – just as the economy crumbled – wasn't easy. Banks were tight with loans, so the owners funded the entire venture themselves. One of the biggest challenges was persuading shops to carry a new snowboard brand while existing boards filled the shelves unsold; retailers feared the lesser-known boards would be a tough sell.

"It was the worst time to do it, but it made us very resilient and we figured out a way to weave our way through by doing unique things," Lee said.

Duke Edukas, co-owner of Surfside Sports in Costa Mesa, is one retailer who took a chance with Signal Snowboards. He knew Lee from the owner's days as a professional snowboarder, and liked the idea of supporting a local Orange County company.

"It's really a cool brand, plus with their reputation, they make a great board," Edukas said. "Why buy a board from 3,000 miles away – why not buy from people who are local?"

Edukas said his employees have visited the Signal factory to get an up-close look at the production process.

"A lot of these kids have never seen how they are made," he said. "It just adds to product knowledge of the brand."

Unlike bigger companies such as Burton, Signal is more of a niche board for serious snowboarders, Edukas said.

Snowboard products are a $3.5 billion industry, said Kelly Davis, director of research for SnowSports Industries America, the major trade organization that does research on the sport.

Snowboard sales were $132 million in the 2011-2012 season, down from $139 million for the 2009-2010 season, according to SIA reports. Davis couldn't specify exact figures, but she said Signal's sales have doubled since the 2009-2010 season.

"They connect with their community," she said. "They do an amazing job of bringing snowboarders into a community."

Of the 7.6 million snowboarders in the United States, about 1.4 million of them live in California. Producing products in California is another reason for the brand's strength, Davis said.

The need to be different is what led Signal's owners to launch the online segment "Every Third Thursday." Friends would come through for factory tours, and the owners wanted a way to share that same behind-the-scenes experience with a wider audience.

"We knew it was going to be our marketing tool, eventually," Lee said. "But there was a lot of risk it in it. We could have been deemed kooky board builders. But because we have so much passion for what we do and we live that life anyway, people took it with that intent – that we were just out having fun and bringing a cool concept to them."

Showing how Signal makes its boards in the online videos also had the risk of opening up the operation to manufacturing competitors.

Signal Snowboards founders Dave Lee and Marc Wierenga are proud that their boards are entirely made in Huntington Beach. CHAS METIVIER, FOR THE REGISTER
Signal Snowboards, the only snowboard manufacturer in Orange County, builds its own cores by first laminating boards made of poplar then slicing them to one-half-inch blanks before the final shape and taper is cut on a computer-guided milling machine. CHAS METIVIER, FOR THE REGISTER
Sparks fly as a board tuner makes adjustments to the metal edge of a snowboard at Signal Snowboard's Huntington Beach facility. CHAS METIVIER, FOR THE REGISTER
Signal Snowboards has made a name for itself by doing wild-and-wacky boards for its "Every Third Thursday" feature, including this Dutch board made with real wooden shoes. CHAS METIVIER, FOR THE REGISTER
Every Signal Snowboard has its serial number and the phrase "Made in the USA" laser-etched into it. CHAS METIVIER, FOR THE REGISTER
Signal Snowboards has made a name for itself by doing wild-and-wacky boards for its "Every Third Thursday" feature, such as this Lego board with movable pieces. CHAS METIVIER, FOR THE REGISTER
This Lego board features movable pieces. CHAS METIVIER, FOR THE REGISTER
Team marketing manager for Signal Snowboards Joey Yorba gestures to a wall display of the Huntington Beach company's first few designs. CHAS METIVIER, FOR THE REGISTER
Team marketing manager for Signal Snowboards Joey Yorba holds a top sheet for a snowboard that has been splatter painted by hand; no two are alike. CHAS METIVIER, FOR THE REGISTER
The Karaoke snowboard did not last very long, but it served its purpose as an out-of-the-box design project for the folks at Signal Snowboards. CHAS METIVIER, FOR THE REGISTER
Quality-checker Kirsten Clemes refines the edge of a snowboard at Signal Snowboards in Huntington Beach. The boards are completely designed and built in-house. CHAS METIVIER, FOR THE REGISTER
The "Every Third Thursday" specialty snowboards are mostly for fun and marketing, but they allow Signal Snowboards staff to test their limits of creativity. CHAS METIVIER, FOR THE REGISTER
Signal Snowboards founder Dave Lee on the slopes with a piece of gear that looks like a surfboard, but rides like a snowboard. The hybrid was made for the Huntington Beach brand's "Every Third Thursday" series. MARC WIERENGA
Pro surfer Rob Machado holds a surfboard-snowboard hybrid, made by Signal Snowboards for the Huntington Beach brand's "Every Third Thursday" series. After riding the board in the waves, it was taken to the slopes to ride on the mountain. MARC WIERENGA

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